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The VICE Guide to Right Now Podcast

Trump's New Head of Family Planning Was a Major Anti-Abortion Leader

On this episode, we chat about Diane Foley, who formally ran crisis pregnancy centers created to convince women not to have abortions.
Image: Vice News

It's hardly a shock that President Trump and his right-wing administration would tap a strident anti-abortion leader to handle Title X, the nation’s only dedicated source of funding for affordable birth control and life-saving reproductive healthcare. Republican presidents have historically appointed administrators that line up with conservative ideals, but Diane Foley seems like an especially pernicious choice for women's reproductive rights.

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Foley, a pediatrician, has spent much of her career championing pro-life causes. As CEO and president of Life Network, she helped run pseudo-medical centers that exist to peddle anti-abortion messages, abstinence-only education, and "the love of Christ." Some public health experts deem these centers "fake clinics" because they include non-medical staff, and make health claims about the physical and mental impact of abortion that have no grounding in science.

On today's episode, we talk to Tonic editor Susan Rinkunas, who has been following the Trump administration's consistent dismantling of Title X, about the new head of family planning.

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